Typical Napoleon. Tactically and operationally, the escape from Elba to take over France was brilliant. Strategically and politically, though…
The strategic blunder was not taking Davout to Waterloo. In my reading of Napoleonic history it’s quite often Davout that made his most uncanny victories possible.
I read a convincing analysis that one of Napoleon’s problems was that by that point, many of his Marshals had died, and at any rate he wasn’t as much of a threat because everyone had copied or adapted to the French innovations.
Well, In a way. Napoleon was never the infallible general he’'s portrayed to be. He often got very lucky and got quite far by way of the aura he had aquired. Tactically he was often bailed out. After Russia and Neurenberg the allied soldiers no longer believed in his invincibility and he made quite a few tactical mistakes at Waterloo.
But I think that Davout was his best Marshall who made his most incredible victories possible. However he is not talked about much.
I’m not a psychiatrist but pretty sure he had napoleon complex
Napoleon being really short is possibly one of Britain’s greatest ever propaganda campaigns
Asking with carrots helping you see in the dark
At least that one has a tiny basis in fact. Beta carotene is found in abundance in carrots (and pretty much anything else yellow, orange, or red, for instance bell peppers) and does help make some of the chemicals in your eyes. (Beta Carotene > Vitamin A > Rhodopsin as an example)
Napoleon was average height even by modern standards.
